↣ 𝘏𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴

Bailey rested his head on Steve's chest as they all slept soundly in the basement of the wheeler's, remaining close to Max.  He stirred marginally upon hearing Nancy's voice.  He elevated his head slightly from Steve as he gazed at her.  "What is going on?"  He inquired slowly.

"Max is gone."  Nancy expressed anxiety, prompting Bailey to sit up abruptly, which caused Steve to sigh in his slumber.  Bailey rose and immediately ascended the stairs.  They proceeded inside the kitchen until they encountered Max.  Engaged in a tranquil painting session with Mike and Nancy's younger sister, Holly.

"I think it's so sweet that you guys are sticking together like this." Karen Wheeler states while she retrieves a dish of food and presents it to her daughter who shakes her head.

"Could try sticking together at a different house for a change." Ted Wheeler remarks while gazing up from his newspaper.  Karen regarded him with a scowl.

"You know you're welcome anytime." Karen remarked while observing them, as she presented a plate to Bailey, who responded with a smile.

"Thank you."  Bailey expresses gratitude.

"No issue, dear."  She states with a smile.  "Let me know if your mother requires additional baby items; we possess an abundance from Holly."

"I will."  He states before proceeding to the table to seat next Holly.  "Hey Holly, cool illustrations."

"Maybe you infiltrated his mind. He invaded your mind, right? Is it that big a leap to suggest you somehow wound up in his? Like Freddie Krueger's boiler room." Dustin proposed, and Holly became animated upon hearing the name.

"Freddy Krueger?" Holly asked, her eyes filled with wonder as she surveyed the space.

"He's a super burned-up dude with razors for fingers. And he kills you in your dreams." Dustin elucidated, entirely oblivious of the fact that he was conversing with a young girl regarding a scary film.

"Sorry. It's a movie. It's not real." Dustin apologize before turning back to Max. "Just... think about it. What if you somehow unlocked a backdoor to Vecna's world? Like, maybe the answer we're looking for is somewhere in this incredibly vague drawing."

"Is this a window?" Nancy inquired, gesturing towards the drawing.

"Yeah."

"Stained glass with roses."

"Yeah, well, it helps that I've seen it before." Nancy remarked when she began to reorganize the drawings.

"It's pieces of a house." Max stated as she looked at it.

"Not just any house. It's Victor Creel's house." Nancy said, and all individuals exchanged glances.  They were preparing to search for a haunted house.

𐬽𐬼𐬽

The house appeared more foreboding in reality, towering above the group as they exited the Wheeler's station wagon. "Yeah, that's not creepy." Steve murmured while seeing it, and Bailey acknowledged him with a nod.

"We could relocate here and commence a life together." Bailey teased him, although he genuinely desires to commence a life with Steve following his graduation. Regardless of its acceptance in their location, Bailey would discover a suitable position.

Nancy and Steve commenced removing the nails affixed to the door. They all positioned themselves behind them while they observed. "What exactly are we supposed to
be looking for in this shithole?" He questioned.

"We just know this house is important to Vecna." Nancy remarked as she extracted the final nail from the wood. They both retreated to observe it.

"Because Max saw it in Vecna's red soup mind world?" Steve questioned.

"Basically." Nancy responded with a shrug.

"We don't think he's in here." Lucas expresses his apprehension, while Bailey harbors significant skepticism regarding his presence at that location, which is purportedly favored by Vecna.

"Guess we'll find out." Max responds with a nonchalant shrug. Nancy and Steve relocated the wood that was obstructing the door. It unveiled the stained glass depicted in Max's artwork.

"Should I knock, see if anybody's home?" Steve joked.

"No need." Robin asserted that as she was grasping a rock. She hurled the rock through the glass, carefully advancing through the shattered pane, and unlocked the door as it gradually opened.

"Looks like someone forgot to pay their electric bill." Lucas observed that as
Bailey was displeased by the odor permeating the area. Dustin surveyed the surroundings with a flashlight.

"Where'd everyone get those?" Steve inquired while observing the flashlight, realizing that each individual now has their own flashlight.

"Do you need to be told everything?" Dustin inquired with curiosity while gazing at Steve. "You're not a child."

"They just left everything." Nancy remarked that they surveyed the house, which was replete with cobwebs.

"I guess a triple homicide isn't good for resale value." Robin remarks with a sardonic smile.

"Hey, guys?" Max inquired, prompting everyone to turn and observe the grandfather clock positioned near the staircase. "You all see that, right?"

"Is this what you saw?" In order to reassure Max, Nancy inquired after they had all verified that they could see the clock.. "In your visions?"

"I mean, it's... just a clock." Robin paused, "Right?"As she passes Max, she stops to greet the weathered timekeeper, brushes off the dust, and then returns her attention to them. "Like a normal old clock."

"Why is this wizard obsessed with clocks?" As Steve's eyes widened with comprehension, he asked. "Maybe he's, like, a clockmaker or something?"

"Just stay pretty, my love." As he strolled past Steve, Bailey spoke.

Bailey ventured alone for a while, traversing the mansion imbued with an unsettling atmosphere. Spiders scuttled about, accompanied by creaking sounds from more footfall. He sensed a palpable tension throughout the home.

A sound caused him to halt; he turned to saw Steve attempting to clean his hair. "Steve, are you okay?" He inquired while approaching.

"There was a spider." Steve remarked while attempting to wipe the back of his head. "It's a black widow."

"Please turn around so I can turn." He states that Steve turned to enable him to see through Steve's hair. He could not discern any spider, however he examined every part of his head.

"I cannot see anything; you are fine." Bailey remarks as Steve pivots to face him.

"Thank you, baby." He murmured gently, bestowing a kiss upon his lips. Bailey gazed up at him, and Steve found himself irresistibly captivated by his brown eyes.

Lucas descended rapidly, exhibiting signs of terror. They all descended the steps behind him. Bailey saw their focus and recognized the cause of the peculiar sensation he had in the house. The chandelier before them emitted a glow despite the absence of electricity in the house, flickering intermittently.

"Vena's here." A low sound was spoken by Lucas. Bailey felt a mix of curiosity and unease as he observed the house's numerous lights, as if he were engrossed in a haunted mystery. "Just on the other side."

"Did he hear us?" Max questioned.

"Headphones," Dustin nodded to her, just in case.

"Everyone, turn out your lights and fan out." As soon as Nancy stated this, she spun around and ran in the opposite direction.

"We're can't see if we turn out our flash...lights!" Steve exclaimed, however everyone responded similarly and dispersed in all directions.

"I got him!" Steve gulped, uncertain of his next action, gripping the flashlight. "He's moving!"

"I lost him."

"No, you didn't." Max negated with a shake of her head and opened the adjacent door. The entryway ascended to additional stairs, likely leading to the attic.

"It's an attic, of course it's an attic." Robin mutters anxiously.

A solitary light illuminated the center of the room, and as they drew near, their lights ignited as well, radiating and intensifying in unison. Bailey surveyed the illumination while maintaining his focus on Max. Vecna desires Max and appears willing to undertake any measures to obtain her.

────────────────────────

𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿'𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀

- I just love Steve and Bailey, they're just amazing. I just love them.

To all the people that have supported me closely- Tags: @norasnetflix @wrensofvizla @KleeAlise11 @kiesluverr

𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘶𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵e